Musical and Poetical Relicks of the Welsh Bards

Sweet apple tree, bearing the sweetest fruit,
growing in the secret wilds of the woods of Caledonia! original: "Celyddon"
Though many seek you, it will be in vain because of your location,
Until Cadwaladr comes to the meeting at the ford of Rhëon,
and Cynan advances to oppose the Saxons in their path.
The Welsh shall be victorious, led by their beautiful and noble leader;
every Briton shall receive his full rights:
the trumpets of joy shall sound, and the song of peace and fair weather shall be sung.
original Welsh:
Afallen beren beraf ei haeron,
A dyf yn argel yn argoed CELYDDON !
Cyd ceiſier, ofer fydd herwydd 'i baddon,
Yn i ddel Cadwaladr i gynadl rhyd RHEON ;
CYNAN yn erbyn cychwyn ar SAESON.
CYMRY a orfydd cain fydde dragon ;
Caffant bawb ei deitbi llawn fi BRYTTON :
Caintor cyrn elwch, catbl heddwch a binon.

Sweet apple tree, loaded with the sweetest fruit,
growing in the lonely wilds of the woods of Caledonia! original: "Celyddon"
All seek you for the sake of your produce, but
in vain; until Cadwaladr comes to the conference
at the ford of Rhëon, and Cynan advances to oppose
the Saxons in their career. Then shall the Britons be
again victorious, led by their graceful and majestic
chief: then shall everyone be restored to their own:
then shall the sounder of the trumpet of gladness
proclaim the song of peace, the serene days of happiness.

These were the poetical luminaries of the sixth century. Their works are full of feeling, imagination, and enthusiasm; they do honor to the nation that produced them. Foreigners who read them will be forced to soften some of those dark colors in which they have usually painted our ancestors. The rays of genius that shone forth in the Britons, amidst the gloom of the Dark Ages, are more valuable in the eye of reason and contribute more to their glory than all the bloody trophies they ever erected. But how can their poetry produce this effect if their language remains unintelligible—if no one will translate it into the other languages of Europe? original: footnote u, referencing M. Mallet's Introduction à l'Histoire de Dannemarc (Introduction to the History of Denmark).

The writings of these ancient Bards deserve to be explored and published, not merely as sources of poetical and philosophical pleasure, but as stores of historical information. Their origin is not doubtful like that of some venerable works which we have reason to fear were drawn together from fictitious records or vague tradition; these were composed based on recent exploits, copied immediately from their subjects, and sent abroad among nations that had acted in or seen them. From a diligent investigation and accurate editions of them by learned Welshmen, many important advantages may be promised to British history. If supplied and improved from these rich fountains, history would no longer offend with incredible fables of giants and magicians, but engage the reader with a description of real events and true heroes. For early poetry has always been known in every country to give the fullest and most exact picture of life and manners.

The Druids, in their migration to Ireland, had not left Britain entirely destitute of its music, which—though no longer communicated by the formal teachings of that learned order—was preserved by practice. It languished indeed for a time, but afterward grew and flourished in Wales along with the other surviving arts of Britain.

"It seems to have been a prerogative peculiar to the ancient kings of Britain to preside over the Eisteddfod Congress of the Bards. Accordingly, we find that late in the seventh century, Cadwaladr sat in an Eisteddfod assembled for the purpose of regulating the Bards, considering their productions and performance, and giving new laws to harmony. It is recorded original footnote w that a Bard, who played the harp in the presence of this illustrious assembly in a key called the Low Key of the Mixed Strings original: "Is gywair ar y Bragod Dannau", was censured for the inharmonious effect he produced. He was forbidden under a heavy penalty from using it ever again; and commanded, whenever he performed before persons skillful in the art, to adopt that of the Pleasant Key of North Wales original: "Mwynen Gwynedd", which the royal associates first introduced and preferred for its suitability for singing and its superiority over the Low Key, which strikingly resembled the tone of the Pipes of Morfydd, a great performer on that instrument. They even decreed that none could sing with true harmony except in the Pleasant Key of North Wales, because that key is formed of strings that make a perfect concord, while the other is of a mixed nature. We have examples of this superiority in the following tunes: The Song of the Horseman original: "Caniad Ceffylizwr", The Song of Great Miracles original: "Caniad o Fawrwyrthiau", The Song of Ieuan, son of the Blacksmith original: "Caniad Jeuan ab y Gof", The Song of Saint David's Gift original: "Caniad Anrheg Dewi", The Song of Cydwgi original: "Caniad Cydwgi", The Song of Einion the Harper original: "Caniad Einion Delyniwr", The Song of the Ripple on the Coracle original: "Caniad Crych ar y Carfi", and many others."

To this period may be referred, with some probability, those great but obscure characters in Welsh music, Ithel, Iorwerth, and Master Medd original: "yr Athro Fêdd" original footnote x, as well as the Keys and Chromatic Notes invented by them and still distinguished by their names.

From the era of Cadwaladr, history is stubbornly silent concerning Welsh music and poetry until the...

u. The reader may see these reflections better expressed by M. Mallet, in his Introduction to the History of Denmark.

w. Institutions of the Welsh Cambro-British Language original: "Cambro-Britannicæ Cymraecæ Linguæ Institutiones" By Dr.

John David Rhys, page 203. Also Welsh Grammar original: "Grammadeg Cymraeg". By John Rhydderch. Duodecimo, printed at Shrewsbury, 1728, page 134.

x. Mr. Lewis Morris, in one of his manuscripts which I have seen, supposes that they were Druids.